Bulgarian Govt Supporters to Stage Fresh Counter-Rally in Sofia

In August, the ruling Bulgarian Socialist Party and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms were exposed in organizing another pro-government counter-protest in Sofia. Photo by dariknews.bg

Supporters of Bulgaria’s embattled Socialist-led government are to stage a counter-rally in downtown Sofia early on Wednesday – as a massive anti-government protest is planned for the same time and place.

Chartered buses carrying pro-government counter-protesters are expected to arrive from all over Bulgaria.

In August, the ruling Bulgarian Socialist Party and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms were exposed in organizing another pro-government counter-protest in Sofia. The move resulted in brief tensions, as anti-government protesters from Sofia also gathered in the city's center to rally against a controversial budget revision.

Bulgaria’s Interior Minister said Monday he had information that attempts to “escalate tensions” may occur as the country’s lawmakers are to return to work Wednesday after a prolonged summer break.

Anti-government rallies in Sofia subsided in August, as the country’s lawmakers voted themselves a prolonged summer break amid tensions at the end of July.

But thousands have pledged on Facebook to attend a major anti-government rally on Wednesday when MPs come back to work.

The series of relentless and mass anti-graft rallies, at times reaching 20 000 and even 30-40 000 in Sofia, was triggered by the appointment of shady media mogul and lawmaker Delyan Peevski as Head of the State Agency for National Security (DANS) back on June 14. The ongoing anti-government protests were fueled by a number of other controversial appointments and wider concerns about corruption.

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